January 2023
13Jan

UN report calls for re-thinking social protection as the world ages

The World Social Report 2023 calls for concrete measures to support the greying global population, amidst escalating pension and healthcare costs. Population ageing is a defining global trend of our time, according to the study, published by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). Countries can reap the benefits by giving everyone the chance to grow older in good health by promoting equal opportunities from birth. “Together, we can address today’s inequalities for the benefit of tomorrow’s generations, managing the...

January 13, 2023
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December 2022
26Dec

New World Bank Financing Will Expand and Strengthen Egypt’s Flagship Social Protection Program

The World Bank announced yesterday US$500 million in financing to expand and strengthen Egypt’s flagship Social Safety Net Program, also known as Takaful and Karama. The new financing marks a third phase of collaboration between the World Bank and the Government of Egypt to support the establishment of an efficient and effective cash transfer program and to introduce beneficiaries to interventions that generate sustainable incomes and help people to graduate out of poverty. Investing in human capital is integral to...

December 26, 2022
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November 2022
03Nov

Older Persons’ Rights to Social Security

By Alan Gutterman Article 22 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides that “[e]veryone, as a member of society, has the right to social security”, and Article 9 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (“ICESCR”) calls on States to “recognize the right of everyone to social security, including social insurance”. In its General Comment No. 19 on the right to social security released in 2008, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (“CESCR”) explained...

November 3, 2022
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October 2022
21Oct

Out of Sight, Out of Mind: The inclusion and use of data on older people in the humanitarian programme cycle

By HelpAge International Humanitarian principles and basic human rights afford everyone the right to safe and dignified access to assistance and protection on an equal basis. Older people are among those most at risk in humanitarian crises, yet older people’s rights are frequently denied, and they receive little targeted attention from governments, donors, or humanitarian agencies. HelpAge International’s 2018 study, ‘If not now, when?’, highlights significant failings in how the humanitarian system includes older people when responding to crises. A...

October 21, 2022
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21Oct

The politics and economics of pension privatization in latin america

By Raúl Madrir This research note seeks to explain 'lvhya large nUl11ber of Latin Atnerican countries have privatized their pension systel11s in recent years. It argues that the privatization schelnes are a response to the severe capital shortages that have plagued their countries intennittently in recent years rather than to the financial problelns facing son1e of the pension systelns. The likelihood of pension privatization, 1 argue, is determined in large part by the vulnerability of countries to capital shortages as...

October 21, 2022
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07Oct

German cabinet approves €300 energy relief payment for pensioners

The German cabinet has approved a one-time payment in December for pensioners to provide relief for rising energy bills. The €300 payment is to be paid out by December 15th, Labour Minister Hubertus Heil, of the Social Democrats, said on Wednesday following the cabinet meeting. The cabinet also decided on a higher upper limit for people with so-called midi-jobs, which is a type of marginal employment in between a mini-job (which is generally exempt from taxes and social contributions) and...

October 7, 2022
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06Oct

Pension funds in sub-Saharan Africa

By Owen Nyang`oro & Githinji Njenga The population structure the world over is going through a demographic shift, and the elderly proportion is projected to increase with population growth. This change is a matter of concern for sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, where the majority of the people are young and the rates of both population growth and unemployment are high. A good pension system provides elderly assistance and is a source of savings for long-term investment. The pension systems in...

October 6, 2022
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September 2022
12Sep

India. Universal Pension Scheme: New EPFO scheme may cover unorganised workers

If the scheme gets approved, the unorganised sector workers will put in a fixed amount with a flexibility of making voluntary payments. The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) may extend its pension scheme to workers from both organised and unorganised sectors, irrespective of their monthly income, the Financial Express reported. The proposed scheme is likely to be based on individual contribution. The government, through this scheme, seeks to ensure a minimum pension of Rs 3,000 a month after reaching 60 years...

September 12, 2022
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August 2022
12Aug

Social Protection for the Informal Economy. Operational Lessons for Developing Countries in Africa and Beyond

By Melis Guven, Himanshi Jain, & Clement Joubert The informal economy in Africa is large and diverse, and it is the main source of employment in the region. It is projected to grow and create more jobs. The informal economy is well established in the region, but it also faces a host of development challenges. It is characterized by low human capital and productivity compared with the formal economy and is typically associated with limited access to resources such as electricity, finance,...

August 12, 2022
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July 2022
15Jul

Seven Economic Facts About the U.S. Racial Wealth Gap

By Kristen Broady, Darlene Booth-Bell & Taylor Griffin Using data from the 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances and the U.S. Census Bureau, along with data and research from other sources, this paper presents seven economic facts about the racial wealth gap in the U.S. We present data on racial disparities in income, employment, homeownership, education, access to credit, and retirement savings – all factors that contribute to a significant and persistent gap in net worth between households of different races...

July 15, 2022
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